1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to communication networks and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for assessing the installation of a component in a packet-switched network, e.g., a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, telecommunications systems provide the ability for two or more people or machines (e.g., computerized or other electronic devices) to communicate with each other. A telecommunications system may include various networks for facilitating communication that may be generally organized into packet-switched networks and circuit-switched networks. Exemplary packet-switched networks include internet protocol (IP) networks, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks, frame-relay networks, and the like. An exemplary circuit-switched network includes a plain old telephone system (POTS), such as the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN). Although circuit-switched networks have traditionally been used to provide an effective means for voice communication, packet-switched networks are currently being utilized on a more frequent basis. Another example of packet-switched networks is a Voice over Internet Telephony (VoIP) network.
The engineering and design of VoIP networks involves a series of complex steps intended to produce highly reliable services. These networks are composed of many components that must be interconnected in both a physical and logical manner. Typically, engineers compose specifications to properly instruct the technicians that install this equipment and connect the power supplies to power these components. However, despite the access to the best engineering guidelines and specifications, installation technicians occasionally make mistakes that result in improper connections in these networks. For example, a component that should be connected to a highly resilient DC power supply may mistakenly be plugged into an AC source. Moreover, deploying additional human resources to verify the correct installation of network components can be an expensive process and is subject to human error as well.